LAHORE: Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar M Khan has strongly contradicted an statement attributed to him earlier on Saturday which said PCB’s case against its Indian counterpart BCCI for not resuming bilateral cricketing series with Pakistan is weak with reference to the MoUs signed between the two boards back in 2014.

“I strongly deny a statement attributed to me in the media in which I am supposed to have said that the PCB’s case against the BCCI is weak,” Shaharyar said in a signed statement issued to the media on Saturday afternoon. “How could I say such a thing when, in fact, as Chairman and with the approval of the PCB’s Board of Governors, I authorized preparation of a case on the advice of PCB’s lawyers and a prominent QC in the UK who agreed that PCB had a strong case against India.

“During my tenure as chairman PCB, I had tried several times to discuss and negotiate with the BCCI for resuming the bilateral cricket series between the two countries but those attempts remained unsuccessful. This then left PCB with no option but to refer this matter to the disputes committee of ICC.

The media must not distort my remarks and hurt the position of the PCB,” said Shaharyar.

However, as per the video footage of his interview to a private TV channel on Saturday morning, Shaharyar in a video clip was seen saying: “It is good that both the countries come on table talk and to increase individual relationships. When I was PCB chairman I enjoyed good relationships with Dalmiya and Shashank Manohar. Good relationships between the officials always play a positive role in bringing each other closer.

“Yes for some aspects, the case (PCB) is weak. Because there is written (in the MoU) that the series will be held with the approval of both the governments (India and Pakistan), and they (BCCI) can cite that and say we can’t come as our government is not giving us the NoC.”

“Yes, now we have filed a case and they (BCCI) are angry why we have filed it. they say that ‘we want to sit down with the PCB for a solution.’ If you (BCCI) want to sit down then come for discussion,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2017